1) I knew of no parenting guides at the onset of parenthood to tell me step by step procedures for raising my child 26 years ago nor a guide for handling my unique relationship with money. I started out, as we all do, with the basic ‘love’ of my child and the basic ‘need’ for money. To connect in meaningful thought and feeling to viable solutions, one must get help from experts. Advice from our parents (maybe), good books by child psychologists and financial advisors are a great start.

2) Many of us are in denial about our need for examining our relationship with money in very much the same way we are in denial about the need for examining our lack of good parenting skills. Let’s admit it! We need help! Denial led me to cowering in feelings of isolation and exhaustion. I bucked up and boldly sought out the information I needed.

3) The uniqueness of our situations on both fronts (child and money) is colored by our experiences in childhood. Therefore advice from parents and grandparents may need to be weighed and measured.

One may need to consider ones’ parents’ current station in life financially and ones’ own treatment as a child. Were you hungry and homeless? Were you rich and spoiled? What kind of in-between? How have these experiences colored your relationship with money and/or raising a child?

Look at what you actually do with the money in your hands. Do you spend more than you earn?